Rating: 
Summary: Poor effort
Review: Released a week after the band's demise, Megadeth's "Rude Awakening" is an extremely disappointing live DVD thanks to poor editing and some obvious overdubbing. I really have to question how genuinely "live" the music contained in the DVD is.Many concert videos are taped over a number of performances; this is no exception. The footage here is culled from two different nights in two different venues, but visually, you'd never tell. But the shoddy audio editing is a dead giveaway that this is not one performance. Not only do the vocals we hear rarely match Dave Mustaine's lips, it appears that, in more than a few tracks, his voice has been dubbed in later in a studio. Some of the newer songs, like "Burning Bridges" and "1000 Times Goodbye," sound like the vocals were taken straight from the album. The other musical elements are inconsistent. Some songs sound fabulous, others sound horrible. The version of "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" that closes the concert is amateurish and sloppy; in contrast, the performance of "Hangar 18" is dead-on. Again, it's not wrong to suspect some audio tomfoolery. Then there's the issue of the incorrect packaging, which lists 24 songs on the back. The main concert presents only 18 tracks, with the remaining 5 on a special feature called "Underground Concert," which is just footage from the same two shows presented in grainy black-and-white to make you think it's an "underground" performance. What a waste. The band interviews are the highlight. It's oddly funny to hear Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson talk about how the band is better than ever and that they're ready to get back to doing what they always did best; too bad this DVD is out after they've called it quits. So, bottom line, even though they roll out some surprises in the set list like "Reckoning Day," "Devil's Island" and "She-Wolf," this DVD is sadly not worth your twenty bucks. You'd think a band with 19 years of experience and album sales behind them could afford to put together a decent concert package.
Rating: 
Summary: Kickin'!
Review: I would have given it 5 stars, but I'm knocking one off for 2 reasons. 1)The track listing on the package doesn't match program content. All the songs ARE there, but 5 of them are in the "Underground Concert" in the special features section,so soon the track numbers on your player don't match up with the package. You can go to thesong select" in the main menu if you want to find a particular song, which makes up for it a little bit. (Queensryche's "Live Evolution had this same syncronicity problem). The other reason I knocked off a star is because of sound quality. Through surround sound, it's almost like being there! And the vocals are concentrated to the center speaker, which makes them more decipherable than normal. Dave's diction seems to be less articualte on older material.(But to be fair,I think it wold be quite a task to try and play these songs on guitar and sing them at the same time). My number 2 reason for knocking off a start was the sound quality of the 2.0 stereo option. Here's what I originally said"The music sounds good with this option..plenty crankin'! But the vocals are barely audilbe.Again to be fair, I only listened to the stero option through my system with the surround turned off..but most stereo tracks on DVD's sound better than this." Turns out I had my system set to stereo while the DVD was running the 5.1 track. Once I set everything correctly (D'oh!!) the 2.0 sounded just fine. (I still prefer the 5.1 though!)But I'm still keeping off a star for the package error and MTV style quick-cut editing. Everyone in a while,they focus on one member long enough for you to see what they're doing,but it's rare.
I wish they would have included subtitles a la Quensryche's Operation:Livecrime..but again, that's just a nitpick. Dave's vocal performance is up and down. Some songs he sings surprisingly well, and others...well...could be better.But at this poit I simply cannot imagine another voice for Megadeth!It simply wouldn't sound right! So,yes,this ROCKS. Especially if you were lucky enough to catch them on TWNAH tour! And it was cool that they included a couple of songs from their debut. I thought they did Holy wars much better when I saw them in concert..but it probably just seemed that way because I was there!
Rating: 
Summary: MEGADETH ROCKS!!
Review: I am upgrading my prior review from 4 STARS TO 5 STARS. Apparently, I stated that there were 5 tracks missing from this DVD, this in INCORRECT. In fact, the tracks "Kill The King", "Angry Again", "Train of Consequences", "A Tout Le Monde" and "Almost Honest" are INDEED ON THIS DVD. They are in the "special" section of the DVD in the main menu, which I overlooked when writing my first review. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION!...
Rating:
Summary: ** WARNING: This DVD is "Almost Honest!"
Review: First, I must admit the following: I've been a Megadeth fan since '85, and I've seen them live over a dozen times (including twice on this tour) - in San Diego and Las Vegas - both shows totally ROCKED! However, I'll give you the rundown on this DVD, both positive and negative. The negatives: 1. WARNING!!! The track list on the DVD back cover is INCORRECT. I bought this DVD at [a local store] on the first day of release and watched the entire show. I also have the double-live CD. The track lists of the CD and the DVD are IDENTICAL, but the following songs are NOT, repeat, NOT on the DVD: Kill The King, Angry Again, Train of Consequences, A Tout Le Monde, and Almost Honest Being that "Kill The King" and "A Tout Le Monde" are among my favorites, I was VERY DISAPPOINTED by this flaw. Could it have been a production error, a marketing error, printing error? Those who buy the CD will hear all the tracks, but those watching the live DVD will not see/hear the above tracks. I feel this is deceptive, since there was ample room to fill the DVD with the entire show. 2. Also, you will notice variations of the sound volume as the DVD plays from song to song, thereby forcing you to keep the remote in hand while watching (sound will drastically increase during the middle of a song, then get back to normal). This is similar to watching TV, when a commercial comes on and the volume seems louder (even though you haven't increased it). 3. And finally, on the negative side, the cameras HARDLY EVER focus on Dave Ellefson (bass player) for more than a second! There is a bit too much emphasis on Jimmy DeGrasso (drummer). Do we really have to see his face more than twenty times per song!!! I think the camera crew could have shot more of Ellefson, but that's just my opinion. Ok, now here are the PROS of this DVD: 1. The quality of show is excellent. Megadeth's performance is tight and crisp. Mustaine's vocals are clear and audible. The sold-out Arizona crowd seems to appreciate the entire show. 2. The camera angles of Mustaine and his guitar riffs are ABSOULETLY AMAZING! You'll be blown away by the the close-ups of Mustaine (and also of Al Pitrelli). Here, the camera crew did an excellent job of getting vivid details of the solos. 3. Other than the random sound fluctuations, the sound quality is decent, especially if you've got dolby 5.1 surround. Overall, Megadeth performs a well-crafted show and every fan should have this DVD, especially if you own the live CD. However, since there were FIVE TRACKS listed on the DVD back cover but not filmed, I gave this DVD 4 out of 5 stars for being "Almost Honest!"
Rating:
Summary: Nice Video but a couple of songs are missing
Review: When the video 1st came out i was ecstatic and had to buy it the day it came out. ...I attended the World Needs A Hero Tour and watching this video brought me back to the night when Megadeth came and rocked D.C. I thought the camera men did a great job of getting all of Megadeth on video, but at certain times in the concert Jimmy Degrasso seems to be emotionless and bored, and when you read the set list on the back it displays all of the songs they played that night but on the video they excluded the footage. Like "Kill the King", "Angry Again", "Train of Consequences", "A Tout Le Monde" and "Almost Honest". WHAT THE HELL FOR? i was extremely dissappointed at the fact that A Tout Le Monde was missing. But other than these flaws it is a great live tape and in the end they include a interview with the band at the end with mostly Jimmy and Dave Mustaine doing the speaking. If you went to the WNAH concert and enjoyed it this video is definetely worth a buy.
Rating:
Summary: At last
Review: Dave Mustaine has promised this for years and here it is Megadeth fans;a clear representation of what these masterminds of music are all about, for those who have not had the opportunity to bask in their essence of intelligent power.As the few most recent production albums have faltered in my idea of Megadeth, this dvd contains much of our favorites, including Mechanix,Hook in mouth,Wake up dead, In my darkest hour, Holy wars,Ashes in your mouth and of course,Peace sells. The sound is absolutely the best that I have heard on video.Excluding Dream Theater`s Scenes from New York. The visual is awesome. There is some inclusion on all of the footage of Jimmy DeGrasso, not bad but not as clean as the other footage, and it is CLEAN. Drum solo, Guitar duals including great harmonies make this dvd very fun to watch. The fan footage shows just how much Megadeth means to all of us and the positive energy instilled. Al Pitrelli nails all the solos of the three former Guitarists. Chris and Marty, we will always miss you. The one thing I would like more is more extras. The format is sort of hard to follow, I still have not found the studio footage. More interviews with members and more of Tucson`s show would have been nice. In conclusion, this is a must buy. As we all heard Dave Mustaine has a severe nerve condition in his left wrist and may never play again. Buy this to complete your daily audio and visual pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE!
Review: Well, I opened up the case, put the disc in the dvd player, adjusted the stereo system all the way up and pressed play, What did I get? -An incredible concert thats definitely worth your money!, with an excellent sound, stunning picture and with one of the bands that doesn't let anyone down when it comes to live concerts. These guys played this concert with an incredible quality that will remind you of the TWNH tour. There are no hitches and you can actually listen to all of the instruments. Megadeth starts out with Dread and the Fugitive Mind, where they show all the power and intensity that we saw through the TWNH tour, then they skipped Kill the King to show it in a different aspect, which they called underground, this song is under a second menu, so you'll be led straight to In my Darkest Hour, which is played with an outstanding quality that goes on through the whole dvd! Well, the songs arent in the order theyre listed in the back of the case, they are broken down in 2 menus. The main list gives you 19 songs to choose from where you'll see Megadeth the same way you may have seen during the TWNH tour. The second menu contains 5 songs, which are in black and white, showing an "underground" sight of the same concert, which is really cool to see. The songs? -All of the hits are on this dvd, you have never seen such a cool live concert on dvd before! We can take a trip through all of the albums, with the coolest stuff from Killing is my Business to their newest stuff from TWNH. Plus this dvd features interviews with all the musicians, the guys here tell whats been happening through Megadeth's history. I am so sorry that Dave injured his arm and I hope he will recover soon and be back in the band. If you are a Megadeth fan and you went to see them live during their last tour like me, you must BUY this dvd, THERE IS NO WAY YOU WON'T LIKE IT!
Rating:
Summary: So you want a little LIVE MEGADETH?!........
Review: .....Well kids, then you're gonna love this! Great setlist, which I'll let someone else divulge, great sound and picture. It's about time we got this gem from the Megaboys! This DVD comes on the heels of the news of Megadeth's (hopefully temporary) demise, however it will definitely ease your pain. Crank this DVD and you're watching one of the best concerts you'll see from the boys who still remember what metal is all about! A MEGA-MUST-OWN!
Rating:
Summary: Finally! A live concert video that ISN'T a bootleg!
Review: I have waited a very long time to see Megadeth do a live release like this. I must say, it is quite impressive. The video is crystal clear and the audio is in 5.1 digital surround sound. I love the way they edited the crowd into the rear speakers, it works very nicely. Also, its got one of the nicer menus when compared to other music DVDs such as Metallica's releases. It is very easy to navigate, is in 5.1, and the visual interface is really neat. The concert itself sounds a lot different than the CD release of the same name. The 5.1 audio adds back in the crowd, something missing at times from the CD version. My only problem with the video is that it skips around too much. I'd prefer more close ups on the guitar playing, and possibly multiple angles, but that wasn't present. The interview in the bonus section is very nice, and shed light on some things that I've been curious about for some time now. Definately worth the purchase as a Megadeth fan just for the interview present in the DVD. The tracklisting on the back of the DVD is incorrect, however all tracks are present. Some of them are in the bonus section of the DVD. Sad to say, but "Prince Of Darkness" is absent from this release. The songs present are exactly the same as the CD. If you are a hardcore Megadeth fan, then you probably already own this and I don't need to say anything more. But if you are a metal fan, you should look into getting this. It is among the best metal that I've ever heard. If you aren't really into metal, but are into intelligent lyrics in music, then this is something you might be interested in. That is what hooked me into Megadeth is Dave Mustaine's ability to come up with intelligent lyrics to their songs. Some people just don't get the meaning in the songs because they do not give enough time to try and figure it out. But there is almost always a deep message to each and every song. For the lyrics, go to Megadeth's website. By now most people know that the band has broken up, so this is the last concert that they played. That adds to the significance of this release. In the final words of Dave Mustaine in the concert: "You've been great! We've been Megadeth! Goodbye!"
Rating:
Summary: The best concert I ever watch!!!!
Review: Although I am quite dissappointed cos Megadeth never came to my country Singapore but Dave surely knows how to cheer up his fans around world that aren't able to attend the concert (especially me)with this superb DVD. I have attend Metallica & Black Sabbath concert when they came to Singapore but nothing can match Megadeth concert. They are the best!!! The concert is a killer!!!! Thanks Dave!! Hope your arm recovered soon and let the Flag Of Megadeth rise again....cos ARSENAL OF MEGADETH CAN'T BE RID!!!
|
